Riley sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling slightly as she traced the edges of the water glass in front of her. The room was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire, but inside, her mind was anything but calm. The sanctuary was supposed to offer peace, a place of safety, but all she could think of was Zayden, his face etched with determination, his voice urging her to run and leave him behind. How could she?
The woman named Lara had been kind, offering her food and water, but Riley felt the weight of the silence pressing down on her chest. She needed to do something—anything—other than sit here and wait. Zayden was out there, fighting alone, and she was here, helpless, stuck in this lavish prison.
She stood abruptly, knocking the glass over in the process. Lara, who had been standing by the door, stepped inside at the sound.
"Riley?" Lara's voice was gentle but firm. "What are you doing?"
"I can't just sit here!" Riley snapped, her voice trembling with frustration. "I need to find him. He's still out there, Lara. I can't wait for him to—" Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, fighting the emotions threatening to break free.
Lara's eyes softened, but there was a quiet strength in her gaze that made Riley pause.
"You're not going alone," Lara said. "Not while you're still too weak to fight. But I will help you, Riley. We'll find him together."
Riley froze, her breath catching in her throat. "You— you'll help me?" she whispered, her mind whirling with the possibilities.
Lara nodded. "I can contact some of the other people here who might be able to assist. But first, you need to trust me. Trust that we'll get him back, but you need to stay safe until we have a plan."
Riley's heart clenched. Trust. It was a word she hadn't used in a long time, not since she'd come to this world that felt so different from her own. The world where Zayden was always one step ahead of her, where his presence burned like fire in her chest.
"I trust you," Riley said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I need to see him. I need to know he's okay."
Lara hesitated before stepping closer, her voice gentle but firm. "We'll get him, Riley. But you're not alone in this. You don't have to be."
Riley took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Her body was screaming for action, for movement, for something to break the tension that had settled deep within her. But Lara was right—she couldn't do this alone. Not yet. She had to wait, to trust that Zayden was out there, fighting just as hard for her as she was for him.